What does it really mean to build a brand
In a market where everything looks the same, what truly makes the difference is not the product but the brand.
And contrary to what many still believe, building a brand is not just about designing a beautiful logo.
It is about creating an identity with purpose, coherence, and meaning.
When we think of brands like Apple, IKEA, or Delta Cafés, we realise their value goes far beyond the product itself. It lies in how they communicate, serve, and inspire.
At Unsquare, we believe effective branding begins long before design. It starts with strategy.
That is where the why is defined, the reason the brand exists, and the value it wants to add to people’s lives.
What a brand is and is not
Think for a moment about some of your favourite brands. What are the first images that come to mind?
Probably the logo, the colours, the tone of voice, the way they communicate. All of this is part of the brand’s visual identity, the visible face of a set of emotions, values, and experiences.
A visual identity should reflect who the brand is, what it believes in, and how it wants to be perceived. More than aesthetics, it is visual meaning.
Nike, for example, does not sell trainers. It sells an attitude.
Patagonia is not just a clothing brand. It is a manifesto on environmental responsibility and business purpose.
These perceptions are built over time through the consistency of all messages, both visual and emotional.
The logo is the visible face, but what truly creates connection is coherence between what the brand says and what it does.
When there is a solid foundation of purpose, personality, and positioning, design becomes a strategic language.
Communication design: creativity with direction
Communication design translates a brand’s essence into tangible elements.
Colours, typography, imagery, and tone of voice communicate even before anyone reads a single word. Communicating effectively requires balance between emotion and clarity.
Brands such as Continente are great examples of visual coherence and consistent communication across multiple touchpoints, from brochures to stores, from digital to in-store experiences.
In retail and large-scale distribution, where attention is captured or lost in seconds, that balance becomes even more critical.
Design needs to be expressive yet functional, creative yet results-driven.
Partnership and trust: the invisible ingredients
Strong brands are not built alone. They are born from collaboration between teams, clients, and designers.
At Unsquare, we value partnership because we believe the best results happen when design expertise meets business insight.
More than delivering solutions, we work to uncover the right questions.
What do we want people to feel?
What role should the brand play?
What story do we want to tell?
This collaborative process transforms a design project into a true brand-building journey.
Conclusion: consistency is the new creative
Creating a brand is about building trust, and trust comes from consistency.
When strategy and design align, a brand stops being merely recognisable and becomes truly relevant.
At Unsquare, we believe creativity gains strength when it has purpose.
Because a well-designed brand is not just beautiful, it makes sense.